Through the Looking Glass, To You
by RainLily13
Summary: Prompt fill on tumblr. It's been a year since Fenris ran from Danarius and he hasn't stopped running since. Meanwhile, after an unfortunate tumble into a magical mirror, Kagome finds herself in a strange world with even stranger people and no way back. During her search for information on the mysterious 'Eluvian' she stumbles across an unconscious elf with white hair and tattoos.
1. Part I

_A multi-prompt fill on tumblr that took on a life of its own. I'd apologize, but really, I enjoyed this too much.  
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___The prompts that I hit were: _1. Introduction, 6. Break Away,17. Blood, 27. Foreign, 49. Stripes, 84. Out Cold. There were more, but I'll get to those later, lol.

**_Full Summary: _**_It's been a year since Fenris ran from Danarius, and he hasn't stopped running since. Meanwhile, after an unfortunate tumble into a magical mirror, Kagome finds herself in a strange world with even stranger people and no way back. For years she's been travelling throughout Thedas in search of information on the mysterious 'Eluvian.' It's on her way out of the Imperium that she stumbles across an unconscious elf with white hair and tattoos, covered in blood._

_**Setting:** For Fenris, this sticks to canon for the most part, and takes place about a year after he runs from Danarius in Seheron, after he killed the Shadow Warriors. For Kagome, less so sticking to canon. Currently twenty-six, after the final battle Kagome was unable to use the well to go home. She was nineteen by the time she was pulled into the DA universe. Inuyasha and Kagome were together for a few years before deciding it would be best to remain friends. Fenris will be a year or so younger than Kagome, making him twenty-five when they meet._

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_**Disclaimer:** Obviously, neither Dragon Age nor Inuyasha belong to me.  
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—Part I—

When he ran, he never looked back.

_"Hello, Fenris…"_

Every time he shut his eyes, he could see the blood on his gauntlets, still wet, dripping off the tapered tips of his metal-clawed fingers.

_"…Kill them. Every last one of them."_

He could remember the moment it was over.

_"Yes, that's good, my little wolf..."_

The moment as self-consciousness, as control, finally returned.

_"You can never escape me."_

He remembered the horror at what he'd done; the disgust with himself, with how weak he was; how hard it was for him to even _breathe_.

_"…Never…"_

The dawning despair that clawed at him from inside that he'd never escape his fate; that in the end, he'll always be the slave he despised so profoundly.

_"Now, my wolf, return to me."_

He remembered his toes curling in the sands of Seheron, stained with blood, the copper scent so strong it was a surprise he hadn't choked on it. Remembered as he looked down at the carnage he'd wrought upon on his companions, his master's voice beckoning at his ears from up high on the cliff where he stood, watching as a spectator would a sport—and then _ran_.

_"Fenris!"_

When he ran, he never looked back…

_"Fenris! Halt! I command you!"_

Because he knew that if he did, if he had saw Danarius' face, he wouldn't have been able to bring himself to take that first step in the opposite direction.

o.O.o

Ever since that day he'd been running.

He rarely stopped, not even for food. He had no coin in any case, and a lone elf would attract more attention that he would have liked.

Though it was not uncommon in these parts to see an elf on his own, to see one that looked as he did, dressed as he did, carrying a sword almost as large as he—that in itself would sear his presence in one's memories, and with hunters on his tail, being remembered would not work in his favor.

Not that he would trust sleeping in an inn anyway. It was still too soon.

And so, Fenris kept to the roads and hunted when he was hungry, stole when he had no other choice, sleeping up high in trees when he needed to—it wasn't good so much for sleeping as it was best for spoiling ambushes.

As always was the case, Danarius sent men to capture him. He was too valuable, or rather, the stripes of lyrium on his skin were too valuable, to allow him to just run away and leave him be. Danarius rarely left the comfort of his mansion in Minrathous—never was one for the dirty work, not unless it was absolutely required.

The Shadow Warriors had required it.

It was a mixed blessing, Fenris couldn't help but think as he fought his assailants. He wasn't strong enough, not yet, perhaps not ever, to fight Danarius on his own—doubted he had enough control over himself to engage in such a thing.

With a harsh gasp, he yanked his blade out from the last remaining hunter's chest. He stumbled, catching himself only by stabbing the ground and using his greatsword as a leaning stick.

Fenris staggered as he waded through the dead, stopping only to search the bodies of valuables and gold and hopefully potions—preferably healing, but a stamina draught or two wouldn't be amiss. If anything, it would help him continue putting as much distance between him and Danarius, and Tevinter at that.

He could never stop running.

o.O.o

This world was, in a word, strange.

Her movements mechanic, Kagome kicked dirt at her fire, double-checking it was snuffed out before she slipped on her pack, followed by her bow and quiver of arrows.

Taking a surveying look at her small camping area, she turned on her heel and started out for the day.

It had been years, nearly a decade, since she first stepped foot in this medieval world of mages and templars, elves and dwarves, kings and wardens, darkspawn and apparently even _dragons_. Though, stepped foot would be incorrect—falling through a strange mirror would be the proper descriptor.

The dragons and darkspawn were worrying, of course, but they weren't _so_ bad. The mages and Templars, and the elves and dwarves, however, took a moment to get used to seeing day by day.

With a tired sigh, Kagome lifted her hood over her head to block the bright, hot sun from above.

It wasn't long until she came across blood and dead bodies on the road. _Bandits, _she thought with distaste, stepping over the decaying corpses, her nose crinkling at the smell. During her past travels, the roads were often than not full of them.

Her footsteps, however, faltered when she came upon a mage—dead, obviously—but wearing Tevinter-styled robes and sporting a staff that looked rather expensive. _Too _expensive for any run of the mill bandit.

_Slavers? _She thought in confusion, but not so much surprised. Not anymore, at least—it was one of many reasons she was so happy to finally be leaving the country. The only thing surprising was that it was rather large group and that they were all _dead_.

It was only by chance that a couple of hours later, when she drifted off the trail to find a source of water and to rest for lunch, that she came upon an elf passed out and covered in blood, dark, tattooed skin littered with wounds and burns.

o.O.o

Fenris woke slowly.

Fenris woke slowly to the smell of rabbit cooking and his body feeling moderately rested and mostly pain free. Something wet and cold and relieving was pressed against his forehead.

The sense of _wrongness _was almost sickening.

The elf surged up, roughspun, warm blankets pooling at his hips, fingers grasping for a blade that wasn't there and his tattoos flaring upon the realization that he was weaponless.

His eyes blazed a dark green as he searched and settled on the kneeling figure at his side, hands outstretched and hovering, frozen in midair.

A woman, Fenris realized, still tensed and glowing. At her side were open jars of salves, a bowl of water, and folded strips of cloth.

_"Who are you?" _Fenris demanded. "_What do you want?"_

The woman's eyes—a dark, blue-grey—widened further than they already were. "I'm sorry," the woman apologized softly, eyebrows drawn together, a pensive look upon her face. "I cannot understand you. I don't speak… Tevene, is it?"

Fenris' eyes narrowed further. The language he recognized, but the accent she spoke in was foreign to him, unlike any he'd heard. "Who are you?" he repeated in Common, voice harsh. "What is it that you want with me?"

Now the woman's dark eyebrows shot up. "Nothing," she quickly answered, drawing her hands away.

Out of reflex, Fenris caught them, holding her thin wrists together in a more than firm grip, tightening when she tried pulling out if it. "Then why am I here?" He cast a glance to take a look at what _here _was—a small camp sheltered under a cliff overhang, just twenty feet from a river.

The woman's furtive tugging paused, and she looked upon him with an incredulous look. "I thought you needed help?" she said slowly. "You were passed out, I saw blood. You were pale, even."

Fenris snorted. "You would help a stranger? An elf, even?" he scoffed, disbelieving. "I have no money to offer."

Her eyes both flared and narrowed. "A good thing I asked for none," she replied, tone sharp, "And that I have no need." She quickly twisted her hands, disarming herself from the elf's tight grip. Fenris' eyes widened.

The woman quickly climbed to her feet, taking a few steps back to put distance between them—not out of fear, but out of caution. "Now," she said primly, straightening her tunic. "You've been out for nearly a day. I was just checking on your healing—you're doing fine. I've got food on the fire, which you're welcomed to have some. And, your things are just over there—I've done the courtesy of cleaning the blood off them."

Fenris just shook his head, fists clenching in his lap. "But _why_?" he gritted out in a low growl.

Her gaze settled upon him, heavy and searching, and it was all Fenris could do to not fidget under it. He watched as she sighed, her shoulders drooping, before she reached up to rub at her temples. "Because," she shrugged and simply told him, "You looked like you needed it."

o.O.o

For three days Fenris recovered under Kagome's watchful eye and tender care.

For the whole of it, Gods help her, the elf wouldn't stop _staring_. _Watching her_. Most the time, he _glared _nonstop.

It was positively unnerving, but it didn't stop Kagome from trying to diffuse the tension by chatting away. If nothing else, it helped _her_ ignore the tension.

"So, after tonight you should be alright to be back on your feet. Your injuries are healing up quite nicely," she rambled, the smell of fish filling the air. "Where are you headed, anyways? If you don't mind me asking, I mean. Perhaps we can travel together?"

Fenris cut a look over at her and scoffed, an obvious sign of dismissal. "You are better off on your own," he stated with a brisk shake of his head. "I have hunters on my heels. They are not the kind to hesitate to run you through to get to me."

Kagome shrugged and reached over to turn the fish over in the fire. Fenris' nose crinkled. "I can take care of myself."

Fenris stared, disbelieving, and Kagome sighed. Standing, she padded over to her back, reaching in to pull out a small sack. Weighing it in her hand for a moment, she tossed it to the elf without even a glance.

Fenris caught it easily, knew without even needing to check that it was money. Heavy, too. Tugging it open he saw a glint of gold. Looking back up, he narrowed his eyes at the woman. "What is this?"

"Payment," she replied, still rummaging through her bag. "If you want it, to travel with me. Or, if not, then a gift to help you on your travels. Take your pick. I won't force you to stay."

With a snort, Fenris just shook his head. "And that is all?" he asked, suspicious.

Kagome just shrugged as closed the flap to her pack, straightening things. "Company would be nice," she said offhand and Fenris stiffened just as she froze.

Whirling around, Kagome's face was flushing and she waved her hands wildly. "_Not _like that," she added hastily, wincing at his glowering look. "I would—I _wouldn't_," she swore vehemently. "I just meant—it's lonely out here, and, _shit_," she stopped, groaning into her hands. "It would be nice to have someone else to talk to, other than myself."

Snorting softly, Fenris found his lips twitching. "Calm yourself, I understand what you mean," he murmured, shaking his head. "The presence of another person would also ward off some opportunistic bandits you might come across. Where are you travelling to?"

"Southeast, to Estwatch," Kagome answered, coming to sit by the fire once more, dropping her bag by her feet before removing the fish. When she offered it to Fenris, he made a face and shook his head, to which Kagome frowned at. "It's a small island off the coast of the Free Marches. You should really eat—you're still healing."

Fenris grimaced and looked away. It was hard to see, but Kagome thought the tips of his ears, which she could see peeking through the long, white strands of his hair, were turning red. "I… dislike fish," he muttered quickly. "I will be fine."

Kagome rolled her eyes and reached for her pack once more, tossing him yet another item. When Fenris caught it, he was surprised to find a shiny, if not a bit beat up, apple. "You should have said something when I mentioned we were having fish tonight."

"…Thank you," Fenris said quietly, and he bit into the fruit, eyes shuttering against the burst of juicy flavor that hit his tongue. "As for where I'm headed—that would be as far as I can get from the Imperium. If you wish to travel with me despite the hunters, then I will not say no." With a soft sigh, he tossed the sack of coin back to Kagome. "Nor will I take payment. I owe you a debt for healing me, after all."

o.O.o

Usually, Kagome would run into bandits at least three times a week. If she managed to see them in time, she usually skirted around them, not wanting to fight.

Fenris, however, had no qualms about meeting with bandits head on. His appearance alone was generally enough to deter most from raising a blade.

It had been nearly two weeks into their travels together when they met with their second band of bandits willing to take a chance on them.

If anything, Fenris thought with a harsh scowl as he cut down one bandit with relative ease, it likely had something to do with having an apostate with them.

It wasn't a rarity, of course, but what was worthy of note was him finding that his new travelling companion was not lying about her ability to take care of herself. She was as swift with firing an arrow as she was deadly.

Whatever skill she possessed with the bow was not nearly as shocking as what else he discovered about her when the apostate mage conjured stone with the intention of hurling it at him, only for the spell to be blocked by a brilliant pink barrier.

_Of course_, Fenris thought with a snarl as he let his tattoos flare white-blue, sending a glowing fist into the mage's chest and ripping out his still-beating heart. _I must be cursed to have mages follow me at every step. _

The apostate mage was still breathing his last breath when he whirled on Kagome, ignoring her open-mouthed gape as he stalked to her.

"Fenris?" she whispered, taking a step back as he approached, confusion taking over her previous shock. "Fenris, what—"

She never got the chance to finish as he wrapped a hand, still wet with warm blood, around her slim, delicate neck and lifted her. Kagome dropped her bow, hands a pale, shocking contrast against the dark metal of his blood-spattered gauntlets as she gripped them furtively. "A _mage_," Fenris growled furiously, dragging her forward, ignoring how Kagome choked and helplessly dragged in what little air he allowed her to. "I should have _known_."

"Fen—" she coughed out, her face quickly becoming red and spotty. "Don't—" Her fingers were now scrabbling at his wrists.

Fenris relaxed his grip only slightly. "Go on," he taunted viciously. "What lies will you spin for me now, mage? When I have you defenseless and your life in my hands?"

"Not—" she wheezed, dragging in short, shallow breaths. "Not mage—priestess."

He scoffed, incredulous. "I saw it with my own eyes—you conjured a barrier. No priestess could do that."

"I—I can't—" Kagome shook her head, eyes blinking fast. "Fen—_please."_ Blue-grey eyes, rimmed with red and tears, pleaded with him.

His jaw clenched but his grip on her throat eased, allowing her to breathe normally. He didn't release her, not yet, and allowed the sharp tips of his fingers to press lightly into the skin of her neck. He waited as some of the red left her face as she caught her breath. "Now explain."

"I'm not a mage," she stated hoarsely, now glaring at him. "My... abilities work only against mages and creatures. They cannot affect you or any other non-magic entities—human, elf, or dwarf."

Fenris froze, his stomach twisting, the beginnings of shame tugging at his heels as he recalled the battle. The lyrium in his tattoos usually reacted when spells were cast near him—he remembered feeling the flare of a spell being cast when the apostate conjured spell, but now that he thought about it, the barrier itself barely caused in a tingle.

_A Templar? _he couldn't help but wonder, but even a Templar's abilities registered a stronger, though distinguishable reaction than hers.

Kagome's eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring. "I don't know what your deal is with mages that you'd be so quick to kill a person just for being one, and right now I don't really care, but let's get another thing straight." Fenris stiffened as he felt the sharp tip of a blade—a dagger, a quick flicker of his eyes told him—be pressed firmly against the vulnerable flesh of his jugular. "I am not defenseless."

The only sound that filled the air was that of their heavy breathing.

The weight of his forest green gaze weighed heavily on her, before his lips twitched and he gave an amused scoff. Slowly, he released her throat completely and lowered his arm, watching her as they broke away.

In turn, Kagome withdrew her dagger, and when Fenris stepped away she sheathed it in her leathers.

They stared at each other in tense silence, before Fenris had to look away, casting his gaze to the ground in shame. "I… you have my apologies," he said, fists clenching at his side.

He could hear Kagome shifting, but he didn't dare look up. "I'd much rather have an explanation, but thanks."

Fenris exhaled through his teeth. "I told you about the hunters. They're after me because I was a slave. I ran from my master—a mage, and a cruel one at that." Finally, he looked up to find that Kagome's glare had softened to an expression of understanding. "You could say he tainted my view of mages as a whole."

Kagome rubbed a hand over her neck. "I'd say that's an understatement," she commented lightly.

Fenris grimaced. "You must understand—in Minrathous, mages are allowed much more freedom than the rest of Thedas. Though I am aware not all practice such despicable magic, most of the Magisters practice _blood magic_," he all but spat out.

Kagome said nothing to that. Instead, she watched him carefully—as if he were an animal, ready to attack once again.

Fenris felt his chest give a twinge at that and he gave a bitter shake of his head. "Your… abilities were an unexpected discovery and I was… disturbed, to say the least. It reminded me of…" He gave a bitter shake of his head. "I wasn't thinking clearly. In any case, that does not excuse my actions, even if you were a mage. After the kindness you've shown me in the past two weeks, I at least owed you the benefit of the doubt."

Kagome scoffed. "Damn straight you did," she muttered, swooping down to pick up her bow, hitching it on her back before she went about rummaging through the bandits pockets for anything useful, or valuable. "I almost thought you were going to rip _my_ heart out as well."

Fenris swallowed and nodded curtly. "Perhaps it would be best if we… parted ways, then," he slowly forced out.

Kagome glanced up to see that he had looked away and was glaring at the air. At his sides, his fists were clenching. She gave a soft sigh. "If that's what you want, then you're free to leave, Fenris. You're welcome to keep traveling with me, though. It was just a misunderstanding, I guess, albeit a violent one."

Fenris' head had snapped over as he stared at her in disbelief. "I could just as easily do it again," he slowly stated, having a more difficult time in admitting the rest. "I do not have… the best of control, as you have already witnessed yourself."

"Well," Kagome shrugged, "If there ever is a next time, I won't be caught by surprise." And with that, she set off south.

After a moment of staring, Fenris quickly followed, falling into step beside her. "…You're well trained for a holy woman," he couldn't help but comment after a lengthy stretch of silence.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kagome's lips curl despite herself. "I _do _fight demons," she replied, glancing over with a cocked eyebrow. "And the occasional highwayman, of course."

Fenris just shook his head, huffing under his breath in amusement. "Of course."

o.O.o

_Well. Suffice to say, I really, really enjoyed writing this! So I hope all of you liked it! Unlike some of the other prompts, I **will **be continuing this. Sorry, but a certain someone found one my weakness for Dragon Age (and Fenris, in particular) - **I** didn't even expect to write so much for this, lol, it kinda just happened, the ideas kept on flowing, and it was too tempting **not** to make this a full on fic. I'd wager it'll end somewhere between 10-15,000 words, but we'll see what happens, yeah?_

_*Sighs happily* I'm really going to have such fun writing this, haha. _

_Like always, feel free to hit me up at tumblr with some prompts! Link's on my profile!_

_RainLily^^_


	2. Part II

_Aah, I didn't mean for this next part to take so long to be posted! Sorry for the wait! _

_For this one, the prompts I knocked out were: 13. Misfortune, 17. Blood, 41. Teamwork, & 56. Danger Ahead. Hope you all enjoy! ^^_

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_**Disclaimer:**__ Obviously, neither Dragon Age nor Inuyasha belong to me._

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—Part II—

Continuing their way slowly down south, the pair passed through various towns and villages, trading the goods they'd picked up on their way for supplies and coin. Their stops never lasted long, however; while Kagome would often stay a night or two in an inn to rest before returning to the road, it was still far too close to the Imperium for Fenris' comfort to do the same.

But the longer they traveled and the more distance they put between themselves and the slavery-ridden country, the longer it took for hunters to track them—with each team sent after Fenris decimated, the time it took for the next team to track them down extended.

The declining frequency of ambushes and attacks served to soothe Fenris' nerves and raging paranoia. It also helped that dealing with the slavers were that much easier with Kagome fighting beside him—someone not only skilled enough to take on the slavers with efficiency, but also someone he was beginning to trust at his back, slowly though it may be.

It was only a matter of time, he knew, before Danarius would become impatient and take up the pursuit himself. But that, Fenris hoped, would not come soon—not before he became stronger; before he gained enough confidence to raise his sword at the magister without wavering. He doubted his old master would bother leaving the capital and his cushy mansion while they continued to travel from place to place.

No, Danarius would wait until he had settled somewhere to avoid the effort of a chase and continue to send hunters in his place until then.

o.O.o

"For what reasons did you come to the Imperium?" Fenris inquired of her one night as they made camp, rolling out his sleeping mat by the fire Kagome made. "If you don't mind me asking, that is?"

She didn't answer at first, the fire's crackling filling the silence as she took the time she spent setting up her own sleeping gear to weigh not answering him against telling him the truth.

Fenris took a seat and settled down, content to watch her and wait.

It had nearly been half a year since they'd first met, time not of the essence when she said she was headed to Estwatch—which was fortunate since they often needed to deviate from their intended path to throw off any hunters on their tails.

It wasn't the first time Kagome warred with telling Fenris over that stretch of time; nor was he the first person she'd ever consider telling. But she had always thought better of it—unsure who she could trust in this world, if she even should.

But it had been nearly a _decade_ since she first came to this world of… of magic and darkspawn, and Fenris was the longest companion she had kept yet.

As Kagome laid down her sleeping mat, she sat down on it and turned to Fenris, sighing. "It'll… it's kind of a long story," she warned, linking her fingers over her lap.

Fenris merely shrugged and tugged off his gauntlets, moving on to begin unstrapping his breastplate before he too sat down.

Kagome sighed again. "Well, since there's really no better way to put this—I'm not originally from Estwatch, or anywhere in Thedas, really. I just… woke up in Estwatch one day, in what I later found out to be an Ancient Elven ruin. I traveled to Tevinter—to Minrathous, to research a way to return home."

When Kagome looked up at Fenris, she found him studying her with an intense expression and she was relieved not to find any skepticism directed at her. "Then where is 'home,' exactly?"

She let out a nervous laugh, wiping a hand over her face. "Not anywhere in this world, I can tell you. For what it's worth, it's called Japan."

And so she began to tell him of the world she came from, a world that held only humans and demons, witches and creatures, and how one day years ago, she was fighting with her friends against a demon only to end up shoved against a mirror that instead of breaking, allowed her—along with one of her friends—to pass through it instead.

o.O.o

"When I woke," Kagome went on as she came to the end of her tale, "We were alone. My friend—Shippo—he was still alive, but unconscious. We were in a cave and the only thing in there with us was a mirror identical to the one we fell into, except this one was solid. Silent. It didn't take long to figure out we were stuck here for the time being."

Fenris, who had taken to leaning forward as he listened, his bare forearms braced against his legs, remained silent at first as he processed what she told him. Kagome spent the awkward silence looking anywhere but at him-be it the trees, the fire, the moon in the sky. The sound of Fenris moving had Kagome looking over in anticipation.

He was gazing at her now, over the fire between them, his moss green eyes now bright and orange from the flickering flames. "This friend of yours, Shippo—where is he now?"

Kagome glanced away, fingers playing absently with a loose thread in her blanket. "We, ah, decided to go our separate ways when I decided to set out to the Imperium. I didn't want to bring him to such a hotbed of slavery, especially when…" she trailed off, pursing her lips.

"When?" Fenris repeated, eyes narrowing.

Her gaze flickered towards him with uncertainty. "Before I say why, you need to understand. Your world and my world describe certain things differently—call different things by the same name. Like how you thought I was a mage, right?"

Fenris nodded his head curtly, trying to figure out where she was going with this.

"And like how in this world, demons are the spiritual embodiments of sin that come from what's called the Fade. My world has demons as well, but they aren't restricted to another realm, nor are they inherently evil—instead, they are spiritual embodiments of animals bound in physical forms."

Fenris held up his hand to halt her, an undecipherable expression etched on his dark face. "Your friend—he is a demon," he concluded, every word spoken slow and flat.

"…Yes?" Kagome replied weakly, grimacing. "More specifically, he's a fox spirit in a humanoid form." She tried for a reassuring smile. "No possession involved and he's actually a very sweet kid, trust me!" she rushed to explain. "Maybe a bit of a troublemaker—but that's in his nature! He was just a child when we met, he had just lost his father, and I've been with him ever since. He's kind of like a son to me."

Fenris stared at her blankly for a moment once more, before his dark green eyes drifted skyward and he let out a faint noise that could only be described as exasperated. "You consider a _demon _like a son to you," he repeated wearily. Passing a hand across his face, he pinched the bridged of his nose. Under his breath, he muttered, _"The company I find myself keeping…"_

Kagome gave a nervous laugh and shrugged. "You're taking this better than I expected you to…" she couldn't help but remark, smiling in relief. No one needed a repeat of the choking incident, her especially.

Fenris grimaced a bit. "I'm not entirely sure I believe you," he admitted, if not a touch sheepishly. Immediately, the smile on Kagome's face fell. "But," he continued quickly, giving an awkward cough, "You have not lied to me so far, and I have seen many things, being surrounded by magisters as I was." Here his words took a dark tone.

"It is not completely out of the realm of possibility. Your abilities make more sense as well, so it lends truth to your story. So yes, I will take you on your word," Fenris decided with a firm nod, and Kagome shot him a grateful look. "Did you find anything that will help your return?"

Kagome's gaze drifted away to the flickering fire between them, taking a stick to shift the kindling when she found it to be low. "Yes, actually, but nothing concrete," she murmured over the crackling. "The mirror itself is called an Eluvian—it was used for travel and communication long ago between the elves of old. I… still don't understand _how _one could exist in my world, never mind be linked between the two, but I'll need to discuss this further with Shippo. If I'm lucky, maybe he found something as well…"

o.O.o

After telling Fenris the truth to her past, Kagome found herself opening up more and more each day—perhaps more than was reasonable, but it had been nearly a decade since she had someone she could really trust in this world other than Shippo.

Fenris, as it seemed, was a fantastic listener—though, from the look on his face he'd sometimes get as she relayed to him some of her most memorable adventures and told of the companions she traveled with, she was unsure if he believed her or was merely entertaining her.

But then he in turn began to open as well—slowly though, so slowly one could even go as far as to say snail-pace slow but considering his past, part of which would likely forever remain a mystery to even him, it wasn't like he could be blamed for being more hesitant than her.

The pair grew closer, became more comfortable with each other as months passed while they traveled south and fought side by side. Hunters still came, though they were taken care of with ease, and bandits still crossed their paths, also taken care with ease, but their time spent on the roads together was something they began to enjoy.

Well, mostly.

o.O.o

"_Venehedis,_" Fernis cursed, shoving the hunter off his greatsword with a swift kick and turning to the next. "It is as if there is no end to these hunters."

A laugh echoed to his right, distant but nonetheless bright. "It makes one wonder where they all come from! Perhaps they wait in bulk at some warehouse until they finally get an assignment?"

Fenris scoffed, spinning on his bare-footed heel and decapitating another hunter with one deft swing. "I believe you are enjoying this a touch too much." The whistle of an arrow swept right past his ear and he turned just in time to see another hunter fall to the ground, the shaft of an arrow buried deep into her throat.

He heard another twang of Kagome's bow and another body dropped. "Maybe you're just rubbing off on me!"

Fenris grinned, an almost feral look in the light of his tattoos glow as he phased over to another group of hunters, coming to them and killing one instantly via a sword through his abdomen. "Was that a complaint?" he called out as he kicked out at the second hunter and then threw a glowing fist into the chest of the third, crushing his heart instantaneously.

Kagome's laugh echoed in the clearing and over the sounds of battle once more. "Certainly not!"

o.O.o

Hunters and bandits weren't the only adversaries they came across on the road. There were animals as well, such as bears and wolves, they even stumbled into a nestling of drakes.

But even drakes didn't compare to…_this._

By the time they were done fighting and Kagome could lower her bow, she was _dripping_. She shuddered, resolutely trying not to think about it.

Not even ten feet away, Fenris glanced over at her and stared. "You look-" he released a startled laugh. It was a husky sound, a pleasing one, even, but unfortunately Kagome was unable to properly enjoy it as it was at _her_ expense. "You look ridiculous."

Kagome spit at the ground, swiping fingers through the gunk on her face. "Yeah, laugh it up," she muttered weakly, glaring at the dead arachnids littered about the ground. "Fucking spiders. _Eugh_."

o.O.o

Keeping to the side, Kagome watched the villagers bustle about in the square. Stands were being set up, decorations were being hung, and food and drink were being brought out.

Feeling the presence hovering by her shoulder, Kagome turned to peer at her companion. "It looks like there's going to be a celebration."

Fenris glanced over at her momentarily, scanning over her face before turning back to the commotion before them. "A harvest festival, if I heard correctly," he replied in a low baritone. "Would you like to stay?"

Kagome eyes widened in surprise and she glanced back at the preparations. "Could we?"

She heard the telltale metal shifting that indicated he was shrugging. "I don't see why not."

A bit excited, Kagome turned back to Fenris with a grin, a little bounce to her movements. Fenris' eyes widened a bit. "I've never actually been to one here," she confessed, "With all the researching it just… never came up."

Fenris' eyes softened. "Neither have I," he admitted. "Minrathous held grand celebrations—loud, with a lot of drinking and fanfare, but slaves were never allowed to participate any further than what were their duties." Anyone could pick up the bitterness in his tone,

Kagome reached out touch his shoulder—that Fenris didn't stiffen or even jerk out from under her touch spoke volumes on its own—and her head tipped to the side as she smiled brightly at him. "Then this will be an experience for both of us, huh?"

The elf's lips twitched and he nodded. "One that I look forward to," he murmured softly.

o.O.o

"You're hurt," Fenris breathed out in shock, eyes wide, after yet another encounter with hunters.

"Yes," Kagome griped as she pressed a hand against her thigh, blood spurting from between her fingers as she dug through her pack. "Unfortunately that happens when one gets caught by a rather pointy blade."

Fenris exhaled harshly and stalked over. "Foolish woman," he hissed, breathing out harshly. Taking her hand he removed it so that he could inspect the wound himself. He plucked the strip of cloth she slipped out from her bag, pressing against the sluggish bleeding before he dug into her pack for the healing poultrices. "Why did you not say anything sooner?"

Kagome, who had taken to leaning back against her elbows while he commandeered taking care of her injuries, rolled her eyes. "You were a bit busy fighting off a few hunters of your own." When he just snarled under his breath, muttering curses, she laid a hand on a striped wrist. "Fenris, it isn't so bad. I can take care of myself."

Fenris huffed. "Then you should do a better job of it, then."

Kagome's lips pursed in amusement, before a smile broke out on her face and she nudged her shoulder against his. "I'll try, just for you," she said with a playful wink.

Fenris blinked and maybe it was just her imagination, but when he ducked his head and muttered under his breath for her to, "Stay still, _venehedis_, I can't wrap this if you keep moving," she could have _sworn_ the tips of his ears, peeking through his messy, snowy hair, were _red_.

o.O.o

"Even the stars are different."

Her soft voice penetrated through the thickening haze of his mind, drawing him back to conscious before he fell completely asleep. It took a moment for her words to register, but then Fenris rolled over to face her, honest curiosity on his face as he glanced up to the sky.

Stars littered the sky in undiscernible patterns to his own eyes. "You can tell?"

Kagome nodded absently with an affirmative hum. "In my original time, you couldn't really see the stars, not in the city at least. Too much light hitting the sky blocked them from sight."

Fenris' eyebrows furrowed, trying to imagine such a thing.

"But in the past, before electricity and artificial light were ever invented, the skies were like this." She gestured to the air above her. "_Filled_ with stars—my first night sleeping outside, I stayed up so long just taking it in. Inuyasha eventually yelled at me that I better not stay up too long, or else he'd drag my "pathetic ass out of bed and down the road in the morning to get moving" if he had to."

Fenris snorted. "He sounds like a pleasant person to travel with," he remarked dryly.

Kagome grinned, turning to look at him. "I told him if he ever tried something like that, I'd "sit" his ass six feet under," she admitted, and the elf's lips twitched at the image it conjured. "He got better, of course. Like I've said before, we _really_ didn't get along at first."

Fenris chuckled softly. "An understatement, it seems like."

Laughing under her breath, Kagome turned back to the sky. After a moment she sighed, a wistful note to the sound. "I've spent a bunch of nights sleeping like this. I'd never thought I'd look up and see a sky I wouldn't recognize."

Fenris frowned and turned to the sky as well, remaining silent. He didn't know what to say to that but he found himself disliking the sadness in her voice. Idly, he wished he knew how to make it go away, and settled with offering comfort through his next words. "You will see it soon, Kagome, I am sure of it."

Kagome gave a thoughtful hum and Fenris watched as she closed her eyes and smiled faintly. "Maybe..."

o.O.o

"Kagome, wake up."

Kagome rolled over, blinking up blurrily. She could barely see anything, it was so dark, but there was enough light coming from outside for her to see the strands of white hair hovering above her—Fenris. "Hmm?"

His eyes, nearly black in the darkness, bored into her apologetically. "The hunters have found us."

Kagome jolted awake and rolled off the cot, stumbling to her feet. Gauntlet-clad hands caught her arms, steadying her, and Kagome gave one of them a thankful pat before they pulled away. "How much time do we have?" she said quickly as Fenris moved to the window.

"Enough for us to pack, at least," he murmured in reply. "I saw them in town. They have yet to reach this inn."

o.O.o

And so it went.

Kagome and Fenris traveled from town to town, steadfast in their determination to put as much distance between them and Minrathous as possible.

When they did come upon a town, however, each visit gradually became longer and longer. Upon reaching Antiva they stared there the longest, in a town where elves carrying weapons, even tattooed as Fenris was, were nothing to blink at. They stayed for nearly two weeks before Fenris urged them to move on, unable to ignore the itch to keep moving any longer.

With each passing town, however, he became more relaxed, his attempts to disguise himself becoming more lax.

It was a mistake he'd never stop regretting for years to come.

o.O.o

Fenris woke up to smoke.

Fenris woke up to smoke, his ribs aching in agony, dead slavers surrounding him and burnt to unidentifiable crisps, and Kagome nowhere to be found.

He scrambled to his feet and immediately buckled over, nearly dropping to his knees. Clutching at his stomach Fenris wheezed at the fresh wave of white hot pain that washed over him, rendering him immobile. He forced himself to push through it, though, staggering forward with only one thing, one name, on his mind.

_Kagome_.

Straightening as much as he could, Fenris sucked in a sharp gasp. "Kagome?!" he shouted in a pained groan. He looked around him, finding nothing but dead bodies burnt beyond recognition at his feet from yards on out.

"Kagome!" he shouted again, stumbling forward and cursing in Tevene under his breath when he almost tripped over a corpse. _"Kagome!"_

Nothing. There was no answer. For all he knew, she was one of these bodies on the ground after the explosion—from what, he didn't know, but it was no ordinary fire bomb or spell. He didn't even know how he _survived_.

Fenris groaned, his hazy gaze flickering over the area, hoping to see _something_, her bag, her bow, _anything._

"Kagome! Answer me!" he shouted once more. _Please_, his mind begged as he stumbled through the wreckage, sifting through the bodies one by one, checking as closely as he could for one that could possibly be…

It took him—he didn't even know _how long_—but if it wasn't for the flames glinting off its surface, it never would have caught his eye.

Just mere feet away from a burnt corpse laid the small jewel Kagome always carried, the leather cord she had once strung it on now charred to frayed bits.

_No_.

Fenris staggered in horror, dropping to his knees, ignoring the sharp lance of pain that shot through his ribs as he reached over to scoop up the jewel. He could remember it like it was almost yesterday when she tugged it out from under her tunic and showed it to him one night, a rueful expression on her face.

_"Back in my world, this thing was the apple of practically every demons' eye. Incredibly powerful; could grant any wish." She had snorted then, a bitter sound, one he'd never heard from her before. "Now? Nothing. Can't sense a thing from it—nothing more than a simple glass marble."_

_"Would you have used it?" he had asked, curious and unable to help himself.__"Wish yourself and your friend back to your world?"__A object that could grant any wish... The __possibilities__ were endless to him: to be free, to have his memories, to have never been placed into slavery in the first place... _

_Fenris had almost scoffed; it sounded too good to be true, too close to a demon's work for comfort._

_But she'd shaken her head, a wry sort of façade of a smile playing on her lips. "No. There's always a catch with these things—wouldn't be worth the consequence, whatever it would be, and there's always a consequence. It just figures that after all the trouble we'd gone to putting it back together and protecting it, it ends up a useless husk of what it once was."_

_He'd never forget the smile she turned toward him, though, as she looked over, or the way his heart tripped at the sight._

_"I've only just realized it recently, but I quite like it here," she had mused lightly. "Staying here wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen." And then, her smile had widened as she tucked the jewel back under her collar. "And besides, I'd never have met you if I did."_

Swallowing harshly, Fenris tore his eyes from the jewel laying innocently in his palm and looked up at the body before him, dread filling every fiber of his being as he realized—_it could almost fit her size._

Bile threatened to rise up his throat. _No._

Fenris shook his head and groaned as his world spun, burying his face in his hands.

_Kagome…_

o.O.o

For hours Fenris stayed, nurturing a small, stubborn flicker of hope that—_perhaps it wasn't her, perhaps…_ But nothing stirred in the clearing they were ambushed in, not even the wildlife, the scent of fire and death deterring any from venturing nearby.

Eventually the elf dragged himself to his feet, the tiny glass ball still clenched in his hand. He stared at it once more, his jaw clenched and his lips pressed thin. His eyes fluttered shut as he exhaled a shuddering breath, and then he sharply reached to his side, tucking the sphere into the pouch at his side for safekeeping, and also, as a reminder of Kagome.

A reminder of the woman, of the one person in this world—a world she did not even _belong _to in the first place—that he had come to trust and care for. A reminder of the transgression he committed towards her for leading to her death by enemies not her own.

Dark thoughts weighed his steps as he finally trudged away from the wreckage, his heart heavy with regret and grief. One thought in particular now haunted him; one he had once discarded as, perhaps, not entirely written in stone—an action that had now cost him so dearly...

He was foolish to hope, to even for a moment believe that such a possibility was within his grasp while Danarius still lived.

_I can never stop running._

o.O.o

_Whoops, sorry Fenris, haha. Hope you guys enjoyed reading this! Though the ending was not exactly a happy one... But the story isn't finished, sooo... ;)_

_Anyways, a huge thanks for all the follows and favs! And thank you for the awesome reviews—totally was not expecting that kind of reception for a DA2/Inu crossover. In particular, thank you to **Maxeyn, Junior-Enstein, cherry-888, alice, Sillvog, Sinfath, Vengeful Jeans, StrawberryCakeJuice, Rc1212, Vampire Miko 159, Silverstarre, Marie **for reviewing!  
_

_Till next time, guys! And l__ike always, feel free to hit me up at tumblr with some prompts! Link's on my profile!_

_RainLily^^_


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